Characterization of african green monkey B-cell lines releasing an adult T-cell leukemia-virus-related agent

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Eight lymphoblastoid cell lines were established from the peripheral blood of individual African green monkeys (AGM). The AGM‐2206 line grew out spontaneously. The others ‐ AGM‐6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, and 16 ‐ were obtained after infection of peripheral AGM lymphocytes with cellfree culture supernatant of AGM‐2206. All lines contained, and were probably transformed by, AGM‐EBV. Moreover, they expressed immunoglobulins but lacked the Leu I T‐cell marker. Thus they were B cells. Since a high percentage of AGMs are naturally infected with a virus similar to adult T‐cell leukemia virus (ATLV), we examined these cell lines for ATLV. With immunofluorescence tests we detected ATLV‐related antigens (ATLA) in three of the eight cell lines. EBV membrane antigen was present in three out of four. The highest percentage (40%) of ATLA‐positive cells was found in the AGM‐13 line. After metabolic labelling of these cells, ATLV‐specific polypeptides p24, p19, p15, and p10 were detected. Hybridization experiments showed that both AGM‐2206 and AGM‐13 cell lines contained ATLV‐proviral DNA. Electron micrographs of AGM‐13 revealed a few type‐C particles morphologically similar to the MT‐2 virus. By cocultivation this AGM virus was able to infect and immortalize human peripheral blood lymphocytes. One such human cell line, NA‐13, expressed polypeptides closely related to ATLV core antigens but a 68,000 mol.wt. glycopolypeptide was serologically distinct from MT‐2 ATLV gp68.